Sliding roof for a motor vehicle

ABSTRACT

A sliding roof for a motor vehicle comprises a shiftable cover arranged for opening and closing a vehicle roof and at least one electrical light source attached to the cover.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The invention relates to a sliding roof for a motor vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] A sliding roof that comprises a shiftable cover arranged foropening and closing a vehicle roof is known from DE 199 02 244 A1. Inthis arrangement, a sliding headliner which is shiftable underneath theglass cover, is provided with a planar light fixture in order to providea non-glaring interior space lighting that does not dazzle the driver.There is the desire to slightly illuminate the interior space duringnight trips, in order to better make out e.g. operating elements, whilstthe illumination must not get reflections in the window panes and dazzlethe driver. A sliding headliner usually is a very lightweight plate thatis made of plastics or compressed fiber materials and can be insertedinto an accommodation space; the plate itself and its guide are to be aslight as possible and equipped as simply as possible. Due to thearrangement of a lighting device, however, the sliding headliner has tobe more rigid and, thus, has a higher weight in order to avoid vibrationof the lighting device.

[0003] The invention provides a sliding roof with an integratedillumination, in which the tendency of the light source to vibrate, aswell as the expenditure for accommodating the latter are very small.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] According to the invention, a sliding roof for a motor vehiclecomprises a shiftable cover arranged for opening and closing a vehicleroof and at least one electrical light source attached to the cover. Thestable, movable cover that closes the outer skin of the vehicle is,anyway, provided with a very stable guide and for its part is configuredstable, so that no enhanced expenditure has to be made for reducing thetendency to vibrate. The lighting for the interior space may be set tosuch a low level, where appropriate, that it may remain in the ON-stateduring driving and gives a pleasant feel in the vehicle compartment.

[0005] According to one embodiment, the light source is atwo-dimensional light source which is attached to the cover, forinstance an electroluminescence light source as is installed in digitalclocks for background lighting. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,964, which isincorporated herein by reference, and the Patent Documents mentionedtherein, there are described such extremely thin, two-dimensional or, inother words, sheet-shaped lighting devices. Single, high-power lightsources tend to be dazzling or they get reflections in the window panes,which is why a sheet-shaped light exit does not only provide for a morepleasant light, but also for a light which is more suitable forilluminating the interior space.

[0006] Further, the light source may be at least one filament bulb, anLED or a gas discharge lamp.

[0007] It is furthermore provided for that a lightwave component extendsalong at least a portion of the edge of the cover and emits lightpreferably in a direction inwardly of the edge. Due to such arrangementof the lightwave component, the light is emitted in a horizontal planethat is situated above the occupant and does not or only slightlyradiate obliquely downwards, so that dazzling of the driver will notoccur. This results in a type of indirect lighting in which spot-likelight sources are provided actually, the light of which is, however,radiated through the one or more lightwave component(s).

[0008] The lightwave components are, for example, optical waveguides orplexiglass bodies.

[0009] According to the invention, the cover has at its inner side afoamed backing or an injection-molded backing provided on the edge ofthe cover. Preferably, the light source or the lightwave component maybe arranged on or in the backing concerned. The foamed backing or theinjection-molded backing forms, for instance, a bead-like frame on theinner side of the cover, the lateral surface area of which frame pointsinwards and comprises a light exit surface area. The light exit surfacearea may be configured as a surrounding light band or, in other words, acircumferentially extending ring-shaped light exit area, for instance bythe light band or the lightwave component being laid on the inner sideon the frame and embedded in the foamed or injection-molded backing.

[0010] Preferably, the light source likewise is arranged in the foamedor injection-molded backing, which can be done in a very simple mannerin that an appropriate accommodation space is left empty during foamingor injection-molding of the backing.

[0011] The preferred embodiment of the invention provides for that thecover is a glass cover.

[0012] If appropriate, the plate of glass may be coated such or may beroughened on its inner side such that it has an enhanced reflectivityfor light from the light source in the direction towards the interiorspace, as compared with a corresponding plate that is not coated or isnot roughened on its inner side. In this embodiment it is consideredthat the light leaves the light source or the lightwave component at alocation very close to the glass plate and at the edge thereof, so thatthe angle of incidence may be very flat with respect to the inner sideof the glass plate and light is hardly reflected in downward directions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013]FIG. 1 shows a top view onto a vehicle roof with an integratedsliding roof according to the invention,

[0014]FIG. 2 shows a perspective bottom view of the cover of a slidingroof according to a first embodiment,

[0015]FIG. 3 shows a section through the cover edge along line III-IIIin FIG. 2,

[0016]FIG. 4 shows a section through the cover edge along line IV-IV inFIG. 2,

[0017]FIG. 5 shows a section through the cover edge along line V-V inFIG. 2,

[0018]FIG. 6 shows a perspective bottom view of a cover of a slidingroof according to a second embodiment of the invention,

[0019]FIG. 7 shows a section through the cover edge along line VII-VIIin FIG. 6,

[0020]FIG. 8 shows a section through the cover edge along line VIII-VIIIin FIG. 6,

[0021]FIG. 9 shows a section through the cover edge along line IX-IX inFIG. 6,

[0022]FIG. 10 shows a perspective bottom view of the cover of a slidingroof according to a third embodiment of the invention,

[0023]FIG. 11 shows a section through the cover edge along line XI-XI inFIG. 10,

[0024]FIG. 12 shows a section through the cover edge along line XII-XIIin FIG. 10, and

[0025]FIG. 13 shows a section through the cover edge along lineXIII-XIII in FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] In FIG. 1 there is shown a sliding roof of a vehicle, which has ashiftable cover 10 and a frame (bordered by broken lines) that surroundsthe cover and has guides for the cover 10. The vehicle roof, to be moreprecise, the opening in the sliding roof can be opened or closed byopening or closing the cover 10, in order to optionally vent the vehicleinterior space.

[0027] The cover shown in FIG. 2 is configured as a glass cover,comprising a glass plate 14 that is provided on the outer side andcloses the outer skin of the vehicle body, this glass plate beingprovided on the inside with a foamed or injection-molded backing thatextends along the entire edge in a continuously surrounding manner.Reference numeral 16 stands for the backing (which may either be afoamed or injection-molded backing) which forms a type of bead-likeframe on the inner side and comprises a continuously surrounding surfacearea 18 pointing laterally inwards and extending virtually at 90° withrespect to the inner side of the glass plate. The backing 16, e.g. a PUfoam, slightly projects with respect to the lateral circumferential edgeof the glass plate 14, a hollow section seal 20 being provided at thelateral circumferential edge of the backing 16 for sealing purposes.

[0028] An electrical line 22 is embedded in the backing 16, this linebeing guided to a two-dimensional light source 24 that annularlysurrounds the edge of the glass plate 14 visible from the inside andthat is fixed to the glass plate 14 and configured as thin as a film.The light source 24 is, for example, a so-called electroluminescencelight source.

[0029] The two-dimensional or sheet-shaped light source 24 is apleasant, nonglare light source which gives a pleasant feel in thevehicle compartment. By the light source 24 being directly adjacent tothe bead-like backing 16 on the inner side, its radiation is screenedoff in the direction towards the windshield by the surface 18, so thatit does not get reflections in the windshield, which would betroublesome for the driver.

[0030] The following embodiments are to some extent similar to theembodiment described so far, so that parts with equal function will bearthe reference numerals already introduced.

[0031] In the embodiment according to FIGS. 6 to 9, there areaccommodated in the backing 16 two light sources 14 in the form offilament bulbs or appropriate gas discharge lamps (both being symbolizedby reference numeral 26). A lightwave component in the shape of anannular plexiglass body 28 is embedded in the backing 16 duringproviding the glass plate 14 with the backing. The plexiglass body 28forms part of the surface 18 pointing or facing laterally inwards, thispart being indicated as light exit surface area 30 which isapproximately at right angles to the glass plate 14. A closed light bandis produced which dependent on the plexiglass body 28 radiates towardsinside, preferably in a horizontal plane. Corresponding to the dimensionof the filament bulbs 26, there are provided accommodation chambers forthe filament bulbs 26 in the plexiglass body 28. For replacing thefilament bulbs 26 there is provided one flap 34 each which is connectedby a film hinge 36 in one piece with the backing 16, i.e. forms a partof the latter. In FIG. 8 the flap 34 is shown in the open state. Theflap itself bears a contact (not shown) which serves for deliveringpower to the filament bulb 26. In the region of the filament bulbs 26,the backing 16 has appropriate bulges 38, as can be seen in FIG. 10, inorder to make possible the accommodation of the plexiglass body 28 thatis enlarged in this region.

[0032] In FIG. 9 there can be seen that the plexiglass body 28, atplaces remote from the filament bulbs 26, may be configured so as to berelatively thin.

[0033] The plexiglass body 28 may even be composed of several individualpieces which form segments of the continuous ring.

[0034] As the inner side of the glass plate 14 is also illuminatedthrough the plexiglass body 28, the corresponding inner surface can alsobe employed for reflecting the incident light. For improving thereflection in downward direction, the glass plate 14 is coated orroughened on the inner side, the corresponding coated or roughenedportion being provided with reference numeral 40.

[0035] In the embodiment according to FIGS. 10 to 13, there areaccommodated two LED's 50 in a cavity 52 in the bulges 38, the LED'sbeing embedded in plastic plugs 54 which are put into the cavities 52from below. The LED's 50 beam at a lightwave component in the form of anoptical waveguide 56, which has numerous ends that form spot-like lightexit surface areas 58 at the lateral surface area 18 pointing inwards.The spot-like light exit surface areas are well to be seen in FIG. 10,they forming a disrupted, surrounding light band. The optical waveguide56 is embedded in the backing 16 during the foaming or injection-moldedprocess.

1. A sliding roof for a motor vehicle, said sliding roof comprising ashiftable cover arranged for opening and closing a vehicle roof and atleast one electrical light source being attached to said cover.
 2. Thesliding roof according to claim 1, wherein said light source is asheet-shaped light source.
 3. The sliding roof according to claim 2,wherein said sheet-shaped light source is an electroluminescence lightsource.
 4. The sliding roof according to claim 1, wherein said lightsource is one of a filament bulb, an LED and a gas discharge lamp. 5.The sliding roof according to claim 4, wherein a lightwave component isprovided that extends along at least a portion of an edge of said cover.6. The sliding roof according to claim 5, wherein said lightwavecomponent is one of an optical waveguide and a plexiglass body.
 7. Thesliding roof according to claim 5, wherein said cover has an inner sidewhere one of a foamed backing and an injection-molded backing isprovided on said edge of said cover.
 8. The sliding roof according toclaim 7, wherein one of said foamed backing and said injection-moldedbacking forms a bead-like frame on said inner side, said frame having alateral surface area facing inwards and comprising a light exit surfacearea.
 9. The sliding roof according to claim 8, wherein said light exitsurface area is configured as a surrounding light band.
 10. The slidingroof according to claim 9, wherein said light band is constituted by alightwave component.
 11. The sliding roof according to claim 7, whereinsaid light source is embedded in one of said foamed backing and saidinjection-molded backing.
 12. The sliding roof according to claim 7,wherein said lightwave component is embedded in one of said foamedbacking and said injection-molded backing.
 13. The sliding roofaccording to claim 1, wherein said cover is a glass cover.
 14. Thesliding roof according to claim 13, wherein said cover includes anexternal glass plate that is coated such that it has an enhancedreflectivity for light from said light source.
 15. The sliding roofaccording to claim 13, wherein said cover includes an external glassplate that is roughened on an inner side such that it has an enhancedreflectivity for light from said light source.